Blood and Dust
by Dan and Dark
Summary: Sorry about the delay, Dan and I have been hit by the brick wall that is the 12th grade. As such, we have been bogged down with homework and assignments, so the time frame between chapters may be longer than expected.
1. Prologue- Bloody Pasts

**Blood and Dust**

**"Where did my scar come from? My hate for the White Fang, and why I'm so afraid of others? I think it's time I told you the truth. It all happened nine years ago."  
**

"Members of the White Fang, I am sure you are all well aware of why I have summoned you here, and I am sure you know of the crimes these traitors have committed. These worthless beasts thought they could just leave our family, and spread our secrets, and they would involve a young child in their evil endeavour. I am here to demonstrate to you what we do to traitors, and show you that the hands of justice are swift and merciless... starting with the woman." The tall, tanned, muscular Faunus turned and kept a short stare at the young girl about three feet away from him before lifting his giant axe - at least half of his own height. The young eight year old girl tried to stand but was quickly shoved back on the ground by a member of the White Fang. She turned to look at him from the ground and he reached for a baton on his side.  
"Stay down you worthless animal." The White Fang member pulled the baton from its holster and raised it in the air. The girl raised her hands over her face and let out a yelp. The White Fang member swung his baton down onto the girl, striking the top of her head. The young girl screamed and began to cry upon contact. She grabbed the top of her head and felt a warm liquid touch her hands. Not wishing to see what the liquid was, she stared at her mother, who was flailing in place and shouting at the White fang member.  
"I'll kill you! I'll kill you! Don't you touch her!" The young girl's mother was broken, her sanity shattered while facing death. The only thing she could think about was not being able to protect her child. "Shanti, I... don't hate us." The young girl continued to stare at her mother, still not sure what exactly was going on. She just continued to cry and stare at her mother as the tall muscular Faunus bashed her mother's skull with the handle of his axe, knocking her unconscious. The Faunus raised his axe, lining it up with the mother's neck.  
"Shanti, close your eyes!" the young girl's father yelled, staring at his daughter with his tired and saddened eyes. The Faunus' axe came down on Shanti's mother, accompanied by a powerful shout. His axe cut clean through the mother's neck, the only sounds being the crack of her spinal cord, the Faunus's terrifying shout and the thud of the mother's head on the stone floor. Blood from the strike splattered in Shanti's face and she stared at her mother's headless body. "Mommy?"  
Her father was furious, lashing out in his bindings, screaming at the top of his lungs, and threatening the Faunus.  
"Let me off these binding and I'll slice your throat with your own ribs! You'll be begging for mercy when I'm done with you!" The tall Faunus made his way to Shanti's father and began to speak.  
"Now, now. Is that anyway to talk to me? We wouldn't want anything more to happen to such an adorable little kitty cat like your daughter, would we?" The tall Faunus motioned his head at Shanti and the White Fang member behind her grabbed her by the hair, dragging her to his leader.  
"She's just a child! Leave her out of this! She doesn't even know what's going on!" Shanti's father began to beg the tall Faunus not to hurt his daughter anymore than he already did. The tall Faunus laughed a little before stroking Shanti's bloodied face.  
"You are a very adorable little kitten aren't you. You know, I feel bad about what this man did to your head now. Do you want me to hurt him for you?" The tall Faunus lifted his head at his henchman, then back down to Shanti who looked clueless. "You don't even know what I'm talking about do you? You're just a stupid little baby."  
"Don't touch her, and do not call her stupid! She's leagues smarter than your stupid ass, you mongrel!" The Faunus turned to Shanti's father furiously and punched him square in the face, making his nose bleed and causing blood to seep into his mouth. "Is that all you got? I was expecting more from the executioner. You hit like a human - soft and flimsy!"  
"Shut your god damn mouth you dirty rat!" the Faunus said as he hit Shanti's father in the neck, and lowered his face to eye level. "You have no power, you never did. You're just a stag and I'm the wolf. YOU'RE JUST PREY!" Shanti's father smiled and spit in the Faunus' face.  
"Apparently the wolf that needs a better dental plan. You're just a thick headed bull." The Faunus' rage finally broke and he turned to Shanti, grabbing her left ear and cutting a piece off with his axe. This new pain spiked through Shanti's body, causing her to scream so loudly it made the people watching cringe. "You bastard! I'll kill you. I'll tear those stupid horns from your body and shove them right in your eye sockets!" Shanti's father was now blinded with pure rage, trying to pull on his bindings, trying to break free. Shanti fell to her knees, her vision starting grow blurry from the pain of both of her wounds.  
"Take the child away! We will deal with her later. For now... oh, your death will be slow. I'll start with your arm!" The tall bull Faunus hacked Shanti's father's arm off as the White Fang member dragged her away. Her father screamed in agony as his limbs were cut off one by one, ending with his throat being slit open - the last thing she would ever hear from her father, the only person that ever truly gave her affection. This day would haunt her for the rest of her life. How she could only watch as her mother and father where brutally murdered before her eyes. They say time heals all wounds, but for Shanti, time made her realize more and more the gravity of that day.

**"I've never shown anyone this burn until now. Not even my mentor. But I've shown you, and now I have to tell you the story of how it got there. It happened five years ago..."**

A blinding light flashed before Rowen Viriatus. He tried to rub his eyes after the blindfold was taken off, but his hands were bound behind his back. As his vision adjusted, the twelve-year-old was met with a grisly sight: the bodies of several Vacuo citizens lay around the warehouse, some bloodied and beaten, others missing limbs or heads. Rowen felt his stomach turn as his eyes scanned the room for signs of life. He was laying on his side on the cold stone floor, badly injured but otherwise alive. A trickle of blood ran from his forehead, creating a small pool on the floor below his mouth. As he rolled over onto his back, a sharp pain ran through his left wrist up to his shoulder - his arm was broken. The sound of his gasps echoed through the warehouse, with nobody around to hear. In desperation, he tried to call for help. "Hello? Is someone there?" No answer. "Please! Somebody help," he cried, praying that anyone outside might hear him.  
Just as he gave up hope of anyone finding him, Rowen heard the creaking of a door behind him. "Hello?" he asked, waiting for a reply. Instead, he was met with a kick to the stomach which knocked the wind out of him. Before he could catch his breath, he was dragged to his feet by an armoured man with a metal mask and pushed ahead. "Get moving!" the man shouted. Gasping for air, Rowen slowly walked toward the door, looking behind him every couple of steps. He noticed that the man had.. ears? He was a Faunus! That could only mean one thing. The armour, the mask, the ears - he was a member of the White Fang, a lackey from the looks of it. He stopped to get a better look at the masked Faunus, but was kicked in the back of the legs and thrown into the next room. As he rolled over, he saw what lay before him. It would haunt his nightmares for the next five years.  
His entire family - his parents, his two older brothers and his younger sister - were tied to chairs, hands bound behind their backs, all in a row from youngest to oldest. They were blindfolded. Rowen felt himself get lifted from the floor and thrown in a chair as he too was tied to it, placed in front of the lineup. The armoured Faunus stood in front of him, and knelt down.  
"Well look who we have here," the Faunus jested. "The gang's all here! The entire Viriatus family, lined up for the taking. Your father thought he could rebel against us and walk away a free man. Well let me tell you, kid: no one double crosses the White Fang unless they're asking for a new orifice!" With that, he pulled off the blindfold of Rowen's father and held a knife to his throat.  
"Dad!" Rowen screamed, but his father didn't reply. Instead, he stared at his son with tears in his eyes as the White Fang lackey pressed the knife deeper. Rowen tried to shut his eyes, but he couldn't look away as the Faunus slid the knife across his father's throat. All he could remember from that point on was crying uncontrollably as one by one, his family members were killed in front of him, in the most brutal ways imaginable - too horrible to recount. Finally, the lackey stopped at his mother, ripping off the blindfold.  
In earlier years, just the soothing sound of his mother's voice could calm him down and ease his pain. But it did nothing for Rowen now as the lackey pulled out a glowing red blade - a Dust weapon. "Be strong, Rowen," his mother said, trying to keep her composure. "You're the last Viriatus, and a born leader. I am proud to call you my son." The Faunus opened Rowen's mother's mouth and stuck the blade in, and she screamed as the Dust burned her throat and lungs. The lackey laughed as Rowen cried for his mother, now dead.  
"Now it's time to finish the job," the Faunus grinned. He lowered the blade and-  
"Where the hell did you go?!" he shouted, crouching and looking around. Rowen, still sitting in the chair, was confused by the lackey's sudden loss of sanity, until he looked down and realized that he couldn't see himself. Somehow, some way, he had turned invisible. All fears subsided as he quickly leaned forward, connecting his head with that of the Faunus. He hit the ground and dropped his other knife as Rowen's chair tipped over. Seizing the opportunity, Rowen grabbed the knife from behind himself and cut his hands free. As the lackey picked himself up, Rowen sliced his leg and he fell again - just enough time to get his legs free. He got up and opened the door, running toward the exit of the warehouse.  
Rowen tried to hold his broken arm up as he ran as fast as he could. But it wasn't fast enough - he felt a weight press against his back as he was thrown to the ground. The White Fang lackey had tackled him and was rolling him over, pulling out the Dust weapon once more. "You ain't gettin' away so easily, you little bastard," he said as he ripped open Rowen's shirt and lowered the knife toward his throat. Rowen could feel the Dust burning his skin even though the blade was inches away; it was excruciating pain that the young boy had never experienced before. Screaming and thrashing, he managed to free one of his feet and kicked the Faunus in the groin. Rowen pulled himself out from under the lackey, who desperately swung the blade. Dust and metal joined with flesh as the knife ran across Rowen's body, from his neck all the way down to his pelvic bone. It wasn't a deep cut, but it was enough to cause him to scream and writhe on the floor as the Dust burned through to the bone.  
The lackey lowered the knife again, and Rowen, laying helplessly on the cold floor, thought of his father and his brothers, and his sister and mother. He thought of the tears welling up in his father's eyes as he looked at his youngest son for the last time. He remembered his eldest brother apologizing for calling him annoying, and his poor younger sister crying uncontrollably, not knowing what was going on. And he thought of what his mother said to him in her final moments: "Be strong."  
Be strong. Rage fuelled Rowen as he cried out, throwing the Faunus off of himself. He quickly dove at the Dust knife that lay inches away from the lackey's reach, and climbed on top of him. "This is for my father!" he shouted, stabbing the Faunus in the stomach. "And my brothers!" Another, this time in the chest. "And my sister!" A jab at the throat. "And my mother!" His voice cracked as he drove the knife into the Faunus' eye. "My family!" He stabbed again. "You'll never touch me!" And again. "Never!" And again. And over and over and over...  
The warehouse door opened, and Rowen stepped out, covered in the blood of the White Fang lackey. He was no longer a scared little boy.  
He was a hunter.


	2. Chapter 1- A Turn of Events

**Chapter 1**

**A Turn of Events**

The shipping barge slowly slid into port. The lights from the city cast shadows in the gloomy docks of the Vytal Shipyard. It was the third shipment of Dust this month, a regular amount from Atlas. However, this shipment in particular was carrying some extra cargo in the form of a young man clad in black and red light body armour. It was his first visit to Vytal since the incident five years ago, and he intended not to overstay his welcome. He was here for one thing and one thing only: to wipe out the White Fang. Or, at least take a chunk out of them. He was just one guy, after all.

As the barge slowed to a stop, the man leapt over the side of the railing, landing with ease on the dock below. As he rounded the corner, however, he heard not-too-distant voices. Stopping at the bow, he peeked around and saw a group of ten or more White Fang members, all excited about something. Wanting to take a closer look, the young man darted behind a stack of barrels, crouching and peering through a slit in the cargo.

"... And then I said, 'You call that a backhand? Let me try!' And the little bitch squealed!" One of the White Fang members seemed to be bragging about beating someone up - a girl from the sound of it.  
"You sure know how to swing, boss!" another said, apparently an underling to the braggart.  
"Did I ask you to talk?" the "boss" retorted.  
"No boss, I just figured-"  
"You just figured what?" The White Fang member seemed to be irritated by the lackey. "I make the rules when we're out on jobs like this. Do I make myself perfectly-"

As he raised his hand, radio static interrupted the White Fang member, who lowered his hand.  
"Hey boss, I'm gonna be a little late to the party," a voice crackled from the com attached to the boss' belt. "The cat's acting up again, so I gotta discipline her before we can collect the materials."  
"Make it quick, and painful!" the boss barked back.  
"And give her one from me!" the lackey blurted out.  
The boss didn't respond. Instead he grabbed the lackey by the arm and twisted, breaking it and throwing him into the water.  
"Stay out of this!" he growled. Turning to his other men, he answered their bewildered looks with an order. "Leave now if you don't lie the way I handle things around here. If you want to end up like the Cairs, that is."

Whatever happened to the Cairs must've been bad, as the lackeys gulped and quickly stood at attention. A voice echoed from the com, this time a female. The young man in the shadows couldn't make out what was said, but it made the boss furious.  
"Just you wait till I get back, beast!" he shouted, and turned off his com.

'Beast'? That could only mean one thing - another Faunus. But why would they hurt one of their own? This was intriguing indeed. The young man's thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash. The White Fang lackeys were on the deck of the barge, and they were loading Dust containers into the back of a truck. They were stealing it! Why hadn't he thought of it before? After all, they were the White Fang - the word around Atlas was that Dust was their new endeavour. Whether they were selling it or using it as weapons, the man didn't care. He wasn't there for heroic deeds. He was there to find the White Fang HQ and attack them directly.

The lackeys closed up the back of the truck and began to drive away. Not missing this opportunity to tail them, the young man grabbed a bike from the other side of the dock and drove after them.

-

After several minutes of turning down streets and taking back alleys, the truck stopped at a seemingly bare wall. The young man parked the bike in an alley and peeked around the corner. One of the lackeys walked up to the wall and knocked three times. The "wall" opened up to reveal a driveway, and the lackeys got back in the truck. The young man sprinted ahead and leapt onto the back of the truck, hitching a ride straight to the White Fang HQ. Just as planned.

As the truck stopped, the young man jumped off the back and ran to a secluded corner. Utilizing his parkour training, he climbed up the low stone building, crouching on the roof. It was the perfect vantage point - from here, he could see the entire compound. It was a large high-walled area housing several stone buildings much like the one he was on right now. The top of the walls sported a variety of anti-aircraft guns - perfect for downing any and all airships that came close. A closer inspection of the ground level revealed many sewer grates, all closed off to prevent attacks from below. It was well-protected from groups of offense; however, one person could easily slip in and wreak havoc, as the young man had so efficiently demonstrated.

The first step of the plan was to obtain a scroll from one of the guards below. No biggie. The young man carefully dropped to the ground below and silently stepped over to the next building. A lone guard stood watch on the balcony, wearing little armour and sporting long, razor-sharp claws. At first glance, he looked mildly intimidating. But this lackey wasn't going to be a problem for long. The young man climbed the beam and vaulted over the balcony railing, and snuck up behind the Faunus. With one hand he covered the lackey's mouth and nose; with the other, he grabbed an arm and twisted it behind the lackey's back.  
"Seven seconds," his mentor had told him. "Any longer and you'll kill a man. Or a Faunus, for that matter."  
Taking care not to make a sound, the young man lowered the Faunus to the wooden deck and picked up the gun strapped to his back. He had no need of this weak weapon, and neither did the unconscious White Fang member. In one quick movement he dismantled the gun, dropping the pieces on top of the lackey. Then he slipped a hand into the Faunus' pocket, extracting the scroll. It was all going according to the plan; now all that was left was to enter the right building and take out the right guy. Leaping from the balcony with great agility and landing in a roll, the fighter strode up to the adjacent building. It was the largest one in the compound - it must be the one, he thought.  
"No turning back now," he said to himself as he held the scroll to the scanner. The door unlocked, and he slipped in.

The first thing the man noticed upon entering the building was the smell. It definitely wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't potent enough to make the young man gag. After wrinkling his nose in mild disgust, he inspected the area. He was standing in what appeared to be a dining hall, complete with chandeliers. The interior had seen some wear-and-tear, but it was the perfect place for a group of thieves and mercenaries to camp out. The room was lit by torches in brackets lined up on either side of the wall, and at the head of the table was a-

A loud thud from behind put the young man on edge, expecting a fight. But he didn't have time to react, as a sharp pain to the back of the legs dropped him to his knees. Another blow to the back knocked the wind out of him and he fell to the floor. A tall Faunus loomed over him, holding a metal baton in one hand and a pistol in the other. He had golden-brown cat ears. It was the boss from earlier at the dock.  
"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" he growled, brandishing his baton in an attempt to look intimidating. It wasn't working well, but the only way the man was going to get out of this scot free was to play up the innocent civilian act.  
"Look sir, I don't even know where I am. I was just catching a ride to the city and I ended up here. I really don't see what all the fuss is ab-"  
The young man was interrupted by a boot to the throat.  
"What a load of crap." The Faunus was clearly agitated at this point. "Do you think I'm an idiot? Look at your get-up, and those guns on your belt! You're a merc, hired by the city by the looks of it. If you think you have the slightest chance of making it out of here alive, you've got another thing coming!"  
There were a lot of names the young man had been called over the years, and he could take them all. He was seventeen and didn't have a care in the world, after all. But nobody - nobody - called him a merc.  
Trying his best to retain his composure, the young man simply bent his right leg and sharply extended it, connecting with the left shin of the Faunus. It wasn't much of a shin kick, but it was enough to upset the White Fang member's balance. He fell over, hitting his head off a nearby post and knocking himself unconscious.  
The young man got up and dusted himself off. Turning to the downed Faunus, he said, "You know, it's dumbasses like you that make the job so much easier."  
With that he turned around and was greeted by a fist to the face.

When he awoke, he was laying in a dank cell in a room that branched off from the dining hall. Straw, buckets and bones littered the cold stone floor. He slowly sat up, groaning and rubbing his head - and he was startled by the young girl sitting across from him, just staring at him.

No, not a girl. Her cat ears identified her as a Faunus. But why was she locked up with him? Could she be the Faunus the boss was referring to? She definitely didn't look too healthy - she had the marks to prove it, as well as a missing piece of her left ear. She'd been beaten, all right, and recently at that. But that wasn't any of his concern. As long as she had some idea of how to get out of this hell-hole, she could be of use to the young man. Now was as good a time as any to make an attempt at conversation.

"Uhh... hi." So far, so good.  
No response. Just a blank stare.  
"Hello?" Nothing.  
"Anyone home? Hey!"  
The Faunus opened her mouth, about to speak. But it was cut short as a burly White Fang member stepped into the room and pulled a key from off a hook on the opposite wall. He walked up to the door and began to unlock it. The young Faunus girl backed away, pressing herself against the wall. The young man noticed she was wearing black and purple gauntlets.

The White Fang member opened the gate and stepped inside, shoving the young man. "Out of the way!" he barked. He then turned to the Faunus, who looked utterly terrified. "Alright then," he said with an evil smile. "Time for your daily discipline!" With that, he threw her against the bars and pulled out his baton.  
"First, for causing a delay in our plans today..." He raised the baton and brought it down, striking the girl on the arm.  
"Then when we disciplined you earlier, you tried to fight back." This time he stood back and kicked the Faunus in the leg. She whimpered, but stood her ground - obviously she was used to this kind of "discipline".  
"And this one is just for fun!" the White Fang member shouted as he jabbed her in the stomach. She doubled over in pain, and he struck her across the face with the baton. The Faunus fell to the floor, and the White Fang member got on top of her. The beating didn't stop there; he mercilessly swung the baton back and forth as the Faunus girl cried out in pain, completely helpless. He drew blood, and the young man knew that a line had been crossed one too many times.

Not bothering to take a silent approach, the man grabbed the White Fang member from behind, lifting him off of the girl and throwing him against the bars. Reaching for the collar of the burly Faunus, the young fighter punched him in the face, breaking his nose and causing a steady stream of blood to flow forth. As he was busy beating the White Fang member relentlessly, he didn't notice the other member sneak up behind him until it was too late. He was thrown to the ground and stared death - in pistol form - in the face. Out of ideas, the young man just watched as...  
... The Faunus girl ran up and punched the White Fang member in the chest, sending him flying into the opposite wall of bars with a crunch. As he hit the floor, the young man could make out an indentation in the bars that was shaped like the Faunus man; no doubt the crunching sound was every vertebrae of his cracking from the sheer force of hitting the cell wall.

"Holy shit!" the young man exclaimed as he looked from the Faunus girl - now with a slightly satisfied but entirely angry look on her face - to the dented bars.

"... Hi," the Faunus girl said.

He was utterly bewildered. "You're not gonna do that to me, right?"  
She shook her head.  
"Good," he replied. "I'd prefer to not be a vegetable right about now. I did have a plan coming in here, but there's no way I'm crippling the White Fang at this point. We've gotta get out of here, but I'd wager the front door is out of the question. Got any ideas?"

The Faunus girl was tentative in responding. "We could always take the roof exit. This building is close enough to the walls that we could jump from one to the other, and climb right over."  
"I'm guessing you've come up with several strategies of getting your ass out of here," the man said. "I don't blame you either - these guys are quite the bunch of dicks."  
The Faunus girl was confused. "What's... what's a dick?" she asked.  
"Never mind," the young man said. "I'll explain when we get out of here. Now lead the way!"

The path out, it seemed, led to a door to the roof of the building. The young man went first, slowly opening the door and peeking around the corner. There was no one up there with them, so he and the Faunus girl stepped out onto the roof, closing the door behind them. He ran toward the edge of the roof, crouching so as to remain unseen.

Looking down at the rest of the compound below, the young man could see a large number of White Fang members in the central square. One member stood in the middle of them. It was clear he was a high-ranking official - he was taller than the rest and burly, with bull's horns and a large double-bladed axe strapped to his back. The Faunus girl crouched next to him and she growled, hatred burning in her violet eyes. The young man figured now was the time to talk to her.

"I'm guessing you know-" he began, but he was cut off.  
"Let's go," the Faunus girl said in a stern voice, standing and turning around. Rolling his eyes and mocking her from behind, he got up and followed her to the other side of the roof.

"Here," she said, gesturing to the edge of the roof. Directly across from it was the wall surrounding the compound. The young man estimated the ledge was seven feet away from - and two feet higher than - the roof. No problem for someone of his physique with five years of intensive stealth and combat training. Stepping back to the other side, he sprinted across the roof and leapt to the wall, grabbing the ledge and pulling himself up with ease. Standing up and dusting himself off, he turned to the Faunus girl across from him.

"Need any help?" he asked.  
"These ears aren't just for show," the Faunus said, standing back and running to the edge of the roof. Just before reaching the edge, she crouched and shot like a rocket from the roof, landing perfectly in a crouching position at the top of the wall.

The young man let out a low whistle. "Damn," he said admirably.  
"Being a Faunus does have its perks, even if the cons far outweigh the pros," she replied flatly. "Come on, I'd prefer not to get spotted."

"Too late!" a voice echoed from below. The young man sharply turned to find its source. The burly bull Faunus was standing in the middle of the compound, holding a small device with one button.  
A detonator.  
Not hesitating to act, the young man grabbed the Faunus girl and launched her across to the roof, leaping off the wall just as the White Fang member pressed the button.

A deafening explosion tore through the wall behind him as he was thrown to the ground, attempting to land in a roll. The fall was too high, though, and his skills were no match for the stone floor that met him at high speed. He felt his leg snap beneath him as he tumbled to the ground, and pulled himself away from a large piece of the wall that would have crushed his skull. Instead, a pile of rubble fell on top of him, covering all but his head and shoulders. Unable to move, he watched the bull Faunus inch closer and closer to him, lifting the axe from his back.

"Where's the cat bitch?" he said with a smile. "I hope she got her pretty little 'ead smashed in by the stones. One less problem on my hands. As long as she's out of the way, it gives me more time to kill you as slowly as possible." Just as he raised his axe, the young man activated his semblance and turned invisible, shouting "now!" before he did so.

"What the-?" The White Fang member was momentarily confused - just enough time for the Faunus girl to leap from the roof and pull back her arm, ready to strike the executioner in mid-air. But the bull Faunus turned just in time to knock her aside with the axe handle, and she rolled to the ground, groaning in pain. The White Fang member approached her.

"So you did survive, did ya? What a shame. The rubble would've killed you quicker. Me? I take it nice and slow. Reminds me of your parents, it does. They were loud indee-"

He didn't have time to finish as the Faunus girl punched the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked the bull Faunus off his feet. Springing to her feet, she began to run toward the White Fang member, as he got to his feet as well. He lifted the axe above his head and prepared what the young man knew would be a death blow. But the Faunus girl didn't slow down. As she neared the executioner, he swung the axe and she dropped to the ground, sliding in between his legs and punching on both sides. The force of her gauntlets paired with what the young man guessed was her semblance, the bull Faunus' forelegs gave out, more than likely shattered by her powerful strikes.

As he fell to his knees, the Faunus girl rolled into a kneeling position behind him. She pulled back her right arm and shot toward the White Fang member, landing a blow to the back of his head. The young man, still trapped under the rubble, heard a crack as the executioner was thrown forward. The Faunus girl grabbed him and rolled him over, repeatedly punching him in the face and screaming unintelligibly. Whatever this guy had done to her parents, he was paying for it - big time.

As the other White Fang members approached cautiously, a loud rumble came from overhead. The bright spotlight of an airship shone down on the compound.  
"Members of the White Fang, lay down your arms!" a voice rang out from the airship intercom. It was a stern female voice, one that reminded the young man of his mother whenever he was up to no good. He felt his legs free up as the rubble was lifted off of him, and he instantly crawled to the Faunus girl nearby.

"Don't - touch - me - again!" she screamed as she relentlessly beat the executioner's face into the ground. The young man could see that his aura was barely holding on. He threw himself toward the Faunus and knocked her to the ground. She began to cry uncontrollably as she buried her face in his shoulder, shaking with sobs.

The young man could feel his leg repair itself through his aura as he got to his feet and put his arms around the Faunus girl. "It's okay," he said softly. "You're fine. He won't be hurting you anymore." Nobody had told him this after the incident five years ago, but he could tell that she was broken, so he tried to comfort her. Besides, he had to calm her down enough to get her onto the airship that had landed inside the compound. Over the Faunus' shoulder, he could see a man clad in green gesturing to him. He knew that face anywhere - after all, it was plastered all over Vale.

It was Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy.

"Are you okay?" he asked the Faunus girl calmly.  
She looked up at him, tears running down her face.

"I... I think so." 

"Okay enough to come with me?" 

"I guess so." 

"That'll have to do," he said, walking her to the Beacon airship. "By the way, I didn't catch your name earlier." 

"It's Shanti Cair," she said softly. 

"Nice to meet you, Shanti. I'm Rowen Viriatus."


	3. Chapter 2- Confrontation

Chapter 2: Confrontation

Shanti stood straight and proud when a spotlight began to shine on her and the partner she found while going through initiation in the Emerald Forest. She turned to her partner to give him a small, nervous smile. They did it! They collected the black queen piece and blasted their way through a pack of Beowolves in the process.

Etsuro Hideyoshi returned the smile. He was a tall, tanned, muscular human with long kempt black hair and crimson eyes. He wore a grey coat with 4 buttons on his stomach area; dark and tight - but not too tight - denim pants; and boots as dark as his pants that reached the uppermost part of his shins. He was one of the most skilled and elegant fighters Shanti had ever seen. When she compared Etsuro and Rowen, she quickly deducted that Rowen would rather take the shadows and strike when the enemy is most vulnerable with swift precision, whilst Etsuro was an agile swordsman and fought like he was dancing - easily spinning, ducking, and jumping over any attack that was sent at him. His agility was what peaked Shanties curiosity, not his skillfulness in the way of the samurai sword. If Shanti could ask anything of her partner, it would be for him to tell her stories of his training. As the young Faunus looked over at her only friend, Rowen Viriatus, she could only hope that he found his partner as interesting as her. Shanti took one last look at her partner, who seemed a bit preoccupied staring at tall blonde-haired young man. He wore a black hoodie with a metal breastplate, blue denim pants with a white patch on the left knee, and black shoes.

Suddenly a voice started to echo around the rather large auditorium, loud enough to make Shanti cover her ears, but not loud enough to conceal the laughing of a group of four hooligans beside them mocking Shanti.

"Hello, my name is Professor Ozpin. I'm sure all of you know who I am and are curious as to why I made you collect chess pieces. But let's leave that as a surprise. I'm sure you are all in a hurry to see who your new best friends for the next 4 years will be, so I'll keep this brief." Professor Ozpin had a smooth and calming voice, the kind of voice that would be perfect for poetry. Despite how loud the echoing was, Ozpin's voice soothed Shanti's ear pain.

After all of the other fighters were called up and arranged into teams, it was just Rowen, Etsuro, Shanti, and five other people.

"Rowen Viriatus, Nero Marius, Alcina Alexander, and Inari Hōjō. Together you form Team RAIN, led by... Rowen Viriatus! Congratulations to you all." After the applause , Shanti looked around at the remaining students.

The person closest to Shanti was a very determined-looking guy wearing a black dress suit with a metal chest plate underneath, black leather pants and black dress shoes. He had messy black hair and perfect green eyes. Standing next to him was a young woman with long brown hair with parted bangs. She wore a beautiful velvet outfit with a matching skirt - not just any skirt, it was a combat skirt. She was knocked out her daze by Professor Ozpin speaking again.

"Shanti Cair, Etsuro Hideyoshi, Egidio Batair and Rosetta Hertz. Together you form Team SEER, led by..."  
Shanti's heart began to race at the long pause. She quickly glanced at Etsuro as Ozpin continued. "...Shanti Cair! Congratulations to you all!"  
Shanti felt her heart stop. Was he serious? Was Shanti really the name he just said? The whole situation was mesmerizing. She didn't really like it - she felt like crying, and it didn't help when her teammates started to touch her. She started to feel a weight press on her chest, and she forced Egidio's hand off of her shoulder harder then intended, making him hold his right hand in slight pain. She turned, backing up and staring at her teammates.

"No," she said several times, each time her plead growing more desperate until she bumped into Ozpin and turned to see his concerned eyes. Ozpin smiled at her and stared into her frightened violet eyes. He began to speak in his calming voice, soothing Shanti in her petrified state.

"It's okay. You're a leader now, and nobody will hurt you anymore. Your job now is to have fun and enjoy your life - let us provide you with the rest."  
Have fun... Something about these words confused the young Faunus. Slightly calmed, she began to think about what fun could be, and how she was going to "have fun" as she looked at her smiling teammates. Concern for her showed through their smiles, and she thought to her self that the next four years might not be so bad.

_

It was a sunny morning where the sky seemed an extra beautiful shade of blue, and few small clouds littered the sky because of the previous days rain. The dew on the ground added an extra air of peace. The smell of a warm morning after lots of rain always made Shanti feel relaxed. She sat down at her desk the moment she woke up, the perfect way to start the first week of the school year in her eyes. The window had a perfect view of Vale and its morning liveliness of people walking and driving to their jobs.

She let out a long, drawn-out sigh as she looked out her window, something she had done for the past two months since initiation. With one of her 'adorable morning yawns,' as Egidio called them, she turned to look at her sleeping teammates before checking her scroll for the time. 6:30. She usually woke up super early and was generally the first student awake on her floor. Her morning routine was as follows: wake up, do your hair like Rosetta taught you, take a nice long walk around campus and have a nice long conversation with whichever of her professors she could find along the way. Most of the time it was Professor Ozpin, who would always invite the young Faunus in for a cup of coffee and some good old-fashioned conversation.

During her first month in Beacon, Shanti was also able to experience laughter for what she believed to be the first time in her life. Her and Rosetta - who was basically like her big sister now - were having a merry old time when Egidio attempted to act all cool and Etsuro threw a tub of yogurt at him. Her laugh earned her one of Etsuro's rare smiles.

She couldn't help but talk Rowen's ear off the next day when she told him about the "sensation" she felt when she was laughing for the first time. Nero patted her on the back, Alcina gave her a nice warm smile, and Inari, being the cheery person she always is, said "good for you" and told her how proud of her she was. Rowen was, well, Rowen. He gave her a snappy remark, but what happened after that would go down in Beacon history.

Shanti had recalled the time Rowen called the White Fang members "dicks" and she thought it was the perfect time for him to tell her what exactly a "dick" was, like he promised. When she started to ask him, Rowen froze in place and regret began to show on his face. Inari and Alcina took Shanti to a secluded corner in the cafeteria and whispered to her what must have been everything she needed to know about said object. Incredibly flustered and confused, Shanti stomped back to where Nero and Rowen still sat, Rowen's face still paved with regret. Shanti turned Rowen around and yelled out, "That is incredibly inappropriate Rowen Viriatus!" She slapped him in the face, and the added affect of her semblance sent him flying into the stone wall twenty feet away. Shanti's semblance and the added help of the wall made the right side of Rowens face swell up and stay that way for a week. Nero was speechless at what took place before him, his mouth ajar. The aftermath of this was met with Shanti crying a lot, apologizing and hugging Rowen until he finally regained consciousness and told her he was fine.

Shanti snapped back into reality with an "oh dear!" when she noticed that it was 7:00. She changed out of her night gown and into her new casual clothes that professor Ozpin so graciously took her shopping for. Her outfit was comprised of a pretty black blouse with purple trimming and a crescent moon on the bust area, and a black and purple skirt. According to Ozpin, he couldn't let such a "pretty girl" wear such "raggedy clothing". After getting dressed, she quickly brushed her hair and tied two bows on the sides of her head before making a dash for the door.

When Shanti made it into the hallway, she saw two people from her classes with Ms Goodwitch. The one on the left was a beautiful snowy white-haired girl named Weiss Schnee, and next to her was the brunette that always had a rosy scent - Ruby Rose. Shanti bowed her head and said,  
"Well hello you two!" with a nice big smile.

"Good morning! Shanti is it?" Weiss held out her hand, and Shanti looked clueless.

"I'm sorry, I'm not the greatest with social greeting and such. I was mostly sheltered growing up." The Heiress gave Shanti a puzzled look but smiled.

"It's a hand shake," she explained. "We grasp one another's hands and shake. Like this." Weiss moved to her partner and grabbed Ruby's hand for a handshake. Ruby blushed a little at how suddenly Weiss grabbed her hand but played along nonetheless.

"Oh." Shanti put her hand out and Weiss did the same. They shook hands like Weiss demonstrated. Shanti's smile widened as she completed her first handshake.

"So Shanti, why are you awake so early?" The young brunette tilted her head with curiosity. Weiss nudged her shoulder at such a sudden personal question.

"Oh, I'm just going for my morning walk around the school! I usually say hello to the headmaster every morning! I may as well get one last hello in before he leaves tonight."

"Oh! We were heading in that direction also. Would you like to come with us?" Weiss gave Shanti a faint smile and so did Ruby.

"That would be lovely," Shanti replied, starting down the hall with the heiress and the girl that smelled of roses. "I couldn't help but notice that Blake and Yang aren't with you."

"Oh, those two are still fast asleep."  
Shanti was a little disappointed that Blake wasn't with Ruby and Weiss. She had a strange suspicion about that girl but couldn't put her finger on it.

"What a shame, it would have been fantastic to meet them formally." Weiss looked at Shanti and gave her a weird look.

"You're really well mannered, Shanti." Shanti looked at Weiss with a half smile. Of course she had to be well mannered - if she would have ever spoken casually to anyone in her life before now, she would be given a bruise or two to teach her some "respect".

"It's just the way I was brought up." Shanti's smile faded to slight frown as she attempted to repress undesirable memories.

Finally the group made it to the main courtyard of Beacon, and parted ways after exchanging farewells. Shanti turned to the path she normally took to see Professor Ozpin standing alone next to a shrub, his morning cup of coffee in his right hand and his cane in his left. Shanti beamed at the sight of the professor and waved as she made her way to him. Ozpin returned her smile and began conversation with her.

"Good morning, miss Cair. How are you this fine morning?"  
Shanti stared into Ozpin's eyes and began to tell Ozpin all about her morning, from waking up to meeting the heiress and the girl in red.  
"It sounds like you've had a great morning. How about you tell me about the first month of your new life?" Ozpin directed her to a bench and they both started to walk towards it.

"Where do I start?" she replied excitedly.

"Etsuro wake up, It's 9:00!" Rosetta smacked Etsuro in the face, making him jolt up in his bed.

"WHAT?! Jesus Rosy, you have got to stop doing that." Etsuro put his hand over the right side of his face.

"Remember Etsu, you said you wanted to wake up at 9 o'clock to go to the gym!" Etsuro looked at Rosetta and saw she had a comb and hair products. He have her a suspicious stare.

"What?"

She looked at him with puppy dog eyes. "Please, for your best friend in the whole world?"

"I can't say no to this, can I?" Etsuro lowered his arm and allowed Rosetta to work her hair styling magic. "This probably won't last through the morning since I'm going to the gym."

"Well I'm just going to give you a kick-ass messy look, so there's no way you could ruin this." Etsuro rolled his eyes and stared at the bathroom when he heard the door click. Out came Egidio in his fancy leather combat suit.

"Where are you off to?" He stared at Etsuro and gave him an angry stare.

"Why do you care?"

"I'm just curious is all. You've been hanging around with that Cardin guy a lot and haven't been acting like your usual self." Etsuro felt Rosetta pat his back, signalling she had finished her masterpiece.

"Mind your own business." Egidio opened the door to team SEER's room and slammed it behind him. Etsuro face palmed and let out a sigh of annoyance.

"So Rosy, did you make any plans for today?" Etsuro, wanting to forget about what just happened, turned to his childhood friend, but she seemed to worried about Egidio to answer.  
"Rosy, don't worry about him." Still no answer. "Rosy..." She gave him her upset stare. "Alright, I'll go after him. He's probably going to the gym anyway." Rosetta's frown turned into a faint smile and she started to speak.

"If you see our fearless leader, tell her that tonight's a night on the town." Etsuro gave Rosetta his rare smile and went to the bathroom to change. He put on a white t-shirt, his dark denim pants and some cologne. He left the bathroom and made his way to the door to grab his coat.

"What are you planning for today, Rosy?"

"Well... I'm not sure really. Could I go with you? I mean, I don't want to train, but I'd like to talk to someone." Etsuro looked her in the eyes and motioned her to follow.

"What about Shanti?" Etsuro asked as he started to button up his coat.

"I'm sure we will see her along the way."

_

"Hey look, it's Nero!" Rosetta tugged on the sleeve of Etsuro's coat and pointed in Nero's direction.

"Good morning Nero!" Etsuro said, waving at his friend and member of team RAIN.

"Oh, good morning you two," Nero said, turning to see Etsuro and Rosetta.

"Where are you off to on a fine morning such as this?" Rosetta asked, going in for a hug.

"Just heading to the gym for a little bit. What about you two?" Nero allowed Rosetta to lock her arms around him and give him a brief hug. All of team RAIN was used to this by now - every time the two teams met in the morning, Rosetta made it a point to give them all a "Rosetta hug," as she called them. Of course, it was the same with her own team, but far less often.

"That's where we were headed as well. How about we go together? And will Rowen, Alcina or Inari be joining us?" Etsuro asked while placing a hand on Rosetta's shoulder and getting a smile from her.

"Well, Alcina is going over notes, Rowen is asleep, and Inari is... well... honestly, I don't even know what that girl is doing. Sometimes it scares the crap out of me."

Etsuro looked intrigued by this. "So just the 3 of us then. Shall we be going?" The group was alerted by a loud crash from team RAIN's room followed by Alcina shouting.

"Rowen Viriatus, you monster! How could you! I needed those notes!" Nero felt a chill go down his spine, and lifted Rosetta and Etsuro over his shoulders while breaking into a run down the hall. Etsuro and and Rosetta looked at each other, equally frightened. It was an unspoken rule between the two teams that nobody messes with Alcina's notes. One time, Shanti knocked a glass of orange juice on one of her copies of notes from Professor Port's class, and Alcina nearly exploded into rage before seeing Shanti's usual innocent face; she placed a hand on her shoulder, gently shaking her a bit. Sure it wasn't bad, but if anyone else would have done that, they'd have been on a one way trip to the nurse's office.

"Alright big fella, we're almost in the courtyard. You can put us down no-"  
Etsuro was cut off by Rowen's screams of agony in the distance.  
"Wow... His voice travels far..." Etsuro jumped off of Nero's shoulder, and Nero delicately lifted Rosetta up and placed her down.  
"You're such a princess, is he your knight in shining armour?"

"Shut up!" Rosetta punched Etsuro' shoulder and made for a dignified walk to the court yard. Nero and Etsuro laughed a little and started towards her.

While in the courtyard they met up with Shanti, who was just saying good bye to Professor Ozpin. They told her where they were going and she said she was going to grab some food and see what Inari was doing. Shanti had started to take a real shine to Inari and no one really understood why, so they just went with it.

The three of them finally made it to the gym's locker room. Rosetta waited outside for the boys to grab their weapons. She could see team CRDL and Egidio off in a corner of the gym huddled around something.

No... Someone! Rosetta started to run at the five of them.

"What do you five think you're doing to that poor boy?" The five of them all turned around and made their way to Rosetta. Rosetta swallowed a bit began to talk. "You can't do that to your fellow students. It isn't right!"

Cardin laughed and the other members of his team mimicked him. Egidio, however, did not. The four members of team CRDL turned again and hit the poor student. Egidio stared at Rosetta. Rosetta launched herself at Cardin and caused him to fall over.

"Big mistake," Cardin said, getting up and hitting Rosetta with his mace. She slid on the ground, her aura shielding most of the blow; she still felt some of the shock. Cardin and his team walked towards Rosetta. Egidio, however, helped the boy to his feet and told him to get out. Before any member of team CRDL could even touch Rosetta again, a black wave of aura sent Cardin toppling backwards. Etsuro stood not three meters away from them with Nero. His katana was pointed at the ceiling, a black field around it. His face was painted with rage.

"Do not touch her!" If people didn't know what was happening before, Etsuro's evil shout made them aware of the situation. "Do it again, I dare you! I'll break you apart!" Etsuro sheathed Tripudium Ferro and the black aura bursted away from the blade; it was now surrounding his feet. Nero wasn't too impressed with team CRDL either. But what really put team CRDL on edge was what Egidio did.

"You said you wouldn't hurt them if I did what you said!" Egidio was in a fit of rage.

Cardin stood up and stared at Egidio. "That was before this one attacked me," he said. "Consider our friendship over."

Egidio smiled at Cardin. "You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that," he replied, reaching for his Broad sword and his Cannon shield.

"You three, deal with those two. This one is mine." Cardin picked up his Mace and got ready to fight against Egidio while the others ran at Etsuro and Nero, completely unorderly. They had no team synchronization at all. Etsuro pulled the Trigger on Tripudium Ferro's handle and it shot from its scabbard, hitting Sky Lark in the forehead. Etsuro quickly grabbed Tripudium Ferro and kicked sky to the ground. Sky hit the ground at the exact moment Etsuro returned Tripudium Ferro to its scabbard.

Russell and Dove both attacked Nero, and upon contact their attacks seemed to do nothing. They attacked again and a field of Aura around Nero shattered. Dove readied his Sword but was smacked in the face by Nero's mace. Russell went to stab with his daggers and Nero had no time to react, but Russell was stopped in his tracks by a boot to the gut from Etsuro. A blow to the head from Nero's mace sent the CRDL member face first into the ground.

"Is that it?" Etsuro had a disappointed look on his face.

"Come on, get up! We still want to play." Nero put his mace on his shoulder.

Egidio swung his broadsword horizontally at Cardin and Cardin parried, kicking Egidio in the shin and making him fall to his knees. Cardin proceeded to send his mace toppling down on Egidio. He quickly raised his cannon shield, blocking Cardin's mace.

"What was it you said before? Big mistake? I think this is one of those." A blast of dust from Egidio's shield sent Cardin's mace flying into the ceiling and falling down beside him. Egidio charged from the ground and bashed Cardin in the face with his shield. Upon contact, a smaller explosion of dust made Cardin soar through the air like a majestic eagle and smack his face off of a set of bleachers.

Egidio helped Rosetta up and apologized for how rude he was over the last few weeks. Before anymore pleasantries were exchanged, everyone went cold - for Glynda Goodwitch had entered the room.

"Children! We do not fight with our comrades. You will come with me to Professor Ozpin's office...NOW!"

"But Miss Goodwit- ow ow ow!" Etsuro stopped talking and was being dragged by the ear by Glynda.

"No miss- ow ow!" Miss Goodwitch managed to grab Nero's ear and drag the titan across the floor. Etsuro and Nero stared at each other, fearful for what was next. Glynda used her magic to levitate team CRDL and was about to do something painful to Egidio.

"NO NO NO! I'll come!" Nobody had ever heard Egidio sound so scared.

All of the other students who were watching the fight went back to what they were doing when they got a death stare from Glynda. Rosetta ran after them, trying to explain what happened, but she was ignored.


	4. Chapter 3- Miss Adventure

Chapter 3

Rowen was jolted awake by a loud crash. When he stretched and rubbed his eyes, he realized he was on the floor of team RAIN's room, and not on the top bunk where he should have been. He must have fallen out of bed. As he rolled over, he noticed something lying under his arm: several sheets of paper with writing on them.

Alcina's notes.

And they were torn to pieces.

Pure terror filled Rowen as he scrambled out of his sheets. Somehow, some way, he must have fallen onto the desk and taken the notes with him to the floor, ripping them in the process.

Wasting no time fixing his hair or putting a shirt on over his tank top, Rowen frantically searched for his scroll. He knew that he had to get out of the room and hide out in another dorm until Alcina's rage subsided; he swallowed as he imagined what would happen to him if he didn't.

As he caught a glimpse of the corner of his scroll under Nero's bed, he heard the bathroom door click behind him. He dove to the floor and extended his hand, desperately reaching for the object so he could grab it and escape - just as Alcina stepped out of the bathroom and looked from Rowen to the mess of sheets on the floor. Her eyes rested on the torn notes in the middle of the room, lying exactly where Rowen had left them.

He was too late.

"ROWEN VIRIATUS!" Alcina strode over to the opposite side of the room and planted her foot on Rowen's hand, nearly crushing his fingers.

Rowen began to apologize. "Alcina, I'm sorry. I didn't know the notes were-"

He was interrupted by a hand around his throat as he was lifted to his feet - she was strong! - and thrown against his bed.

Alcina shouted, "How could you? I needed those notes!" She walked up to him and slapped him in the face.

"I know you needed them," Rowen replied, rubbing his cheek. "Listen, just give me a day or two. I'll rewrite them. Or you could use mine! How about that?"

Alcina responded by slapping him in the face again.

"What notes of yours? You barely write anything down!" Alcina was clearly frustrated.

"I only write down the important stuff," Rowen replied.

Alcina grabbed him by the ear. "EVERYTHING is important," she explained, walking him to the wall separating them from the rest of the school. "If it isn't for my notes, the rest of you would be flunking in every class!" She raised her hand, but Rowen readied himself.

"I don't want to turn this into a fight, Al," he reasoned. It became a habit of his to call her Al, even though she hated it. This one slipped out, but he knew she would think otherwise.

"Don't," she said furiously, "call me AL!"

She swung at Rowen, and he ducked under her arm, grabbing it and pushing it against her. Using this technique to his advantage, he spun her around, pinning her to the wall in his place. He grabbed her shoulders and held her in place.

"Please," he said. "Just listen to me."

Alcina stuck out her knee, connecting with Rowen's groin. He doubled over, groaning in pain. She head-butted him and he fell to the floor, groaning even more.

Her partner's pain seemed to snap Alcina out of her rage, and she knelt down beside him.

"I'm so sorry," she explained. "I just take my notes very, very seriously."

Rowen turned toward her. "Yeah, I figured as much," he replied with a hint of sarcasm and a smile.

Alcina helped Rowen to his feet, and insisted that she check for any permanent damage she may have inflicted.

"I'm gonna need to check your torso to see if I broke a rib," she said.

Rowen felt a chill pass through him. "No," he replied quickly.

Alcina laughed. "Come on, it won't take long. I understand if you're uncomfortable with your body - for whatever reason - but I really need to-"

She was cut off by Rowen. "I'm not kidding. It's not happening. There's no way I'm taking off my shirt."

Alcina was curious. "Why not?" She moved closer.

"Do I need to give you a reason?" Rowen headed for the bathroom door, picking up his clothes along the way. He wasn't ready to show anyone the mark of the incident five years ago.

Alcina got in front of him, stopping him. "I just want to know why you're against taking your shirt off."

"Sorry," he said. "I just don't want to do it. I'm sure you can understand."

Alcina nodded. "I guess so," she replied as she walked back to the middle of the room.

Rowen realized he answered a bit too coldly, and tried to break the tension. "Unfortunately for you, it means you can't drool over me all morning," he said, moving away from the bathroom and leaning against the wall. He was just teasing her - he did it with every other girl he knew, usually followed by a slap to the face - but she seemed to be more serious about it than he anticipated.

"Rowen, I was just trying to be helpful and making sure you're not hurt," Alcina said. "It's not like I'm trying to... check you out or anything." She looked down as she inched closer to him; Rowen could tell she was trying to hide her face.

"Wait a second," he said. "Alcina... you didn't even hit me in the chest. Are you sure that's not what you're trying?"

She looked up at him. "Don't be so full of yourself, ladies' man. Finding an excuse for touching your abs is the least of my concerns," she said. Her face was turning red.

Rowen smiled at her. "But I didn't say anything about my abs, did I?"

The next thing he knew, he was flying across the hall, landing on the floor and slamming against the door of team SEER's room.

Rowen sat up, rubbing his head. He was just kidding around with Alcina. He didn't mean to offend or embarrass her. But did she really think about him like that? There was no way, he concluded. He was just the team leader, and her combat partner. That's as far as it went... at least, he thought it did. He wasn't exactly the most experienced when it came to the opposite gender - after all, he had spent the last five years virtually on his own.

Over the past two months, he had grown quite fond of his fellow teammates. There was Nero, who was the loveable big guy in everyone's eyes, and Rowen's closest friend - next to Shanti, of course. Then there was Inari, the happy-go-lucky friend to all. She never argued with anyone, and her and Shanti were quite close... for some reason. The two of them kept to themselves when they were together. It was suspicious.

Then there was Alcina. She was the brains of the team, and a damn good fighter to boot. And her powers of persuasion were honed to a fine edge. One day, she was able to coax Nero - the guy who always fell asleep in every class - to write all of her notes for the day. It helped that she had good looks, too -

Rowen shook his head, trying to snap out of it. "She's your combat partner," he said. "Use your head. Don't get attached." That was his motto for the last five years. He had gotten attached to a lot of people: his family, his old friends, even his mentor... The memories started flooding back, and he shut them out. The past was his weakness, the future was his strength. He had to get a hold of himself.

He slid his hand under his tank top, running his finger along the groove of the Dust burn on his torso. Another worry came to him - did Alcina somehow know about it? Was that why she was trying to check for broken ribs? How would he explain it if she did know? He wasn't ready to tell anyone about his past. That was his problem, and he didn't want to be treated differently because of it.

Realizing he probably looked like an idiot sitting in the hallway with his hand up his shirt, Rowen quickly got to his feet, just in time for a blonde-haired girl with big... eyes... to walk around the corner. It was Yang Xiao Long, from team RWBY. Before she came close, Rowen ruffled his hair and assumed a manly position, leaning his elbow against team SEER's door and resting his head in his hand.

"Hey," he said as smoothly as possible as Yang stopped in the hallway and walked over to him.  
"How's it going?"

Yang stood in front of him, crossing her arms. "Not much... Rowen, was it? Sorry, I'm not the best with names."

"Oh, it's no problem at all," Rowen replied, trying to stay calm. She remembered his name. That was a good sign. "Yeah, I'm Rowen."  
Now where to go from here, he thought to himself.

"You look like you just got up," Yang said, chuckling. "Didn't even take the time to get dressed before you started flirting with everyone, huh?"

Rowen swallowed. "Why would you say that?" He was starting to get a bit nervous.

She punched him in the shoulder, and Rowen winced. She was powerful. "Relax, man, I'm just screwing with you! Don't worry, I'd do the same, but-"

She was cut off by the slam of a door across the hall. Not just any door, as Rowen pried his gaze from the girl in front of him. It was the door to his team room, no doubt closed by Alcina.

"That looked like your partner there," Yang said, turning back to Rowen. "What's up with her? She's normally cheery all the time."

Rowen gave a weak smile. "I, uh... I may have accidentally ruined her notes." There was more to it than that, of course, but she didn't need to know that.

Yang started to laugh hysterically, leaning against the wall next to Rowen for support. "Well, I guess that explains your red face!" Apparently she knew Alcina enough to know the golden rule.

Rowen smiled nervously, knowing full well that his face was red for more than that reason. "Yeah, I guess so."

Yang wiped her eyes. "Well I guess you'd better... take note of that one!" She began to laugh again, and then looked up at Rowen. Her violet eyes burned into him. God, she was beautiful, he thought. Not like Alcina, but- wait a minute.

"You know what? You're a cool guy," she said, smiling.

Rowen returned the smile as best he could, not believing his luck.

"Too bad I'm already taken," she said again. "I almost feel bad for you... almost. But I bet Alcina doesn't."

She walked away, taking the hand of Blake Belladonna as she waved to Rowen, who was stunned into silent disbelief. What did she mean about that? "I bet Alcina doesn't." Did everyone know something he didn't?

Then the door of team SEER's room opened, and he fell backward onto the floor.

-

Alcina sat in the middle of the floor in team RAIN's room, her legs crossed and her eyes closed. Whenever she was angry, meditating was her way of calming down, her escape from reality.

She thought back to initiation day, in the forest. The day she met Rowen Viriatus.

She had been pinned to the ground by an Ursa, unable to move, her short sword/crossbow lying several feet out of her reach. She had just about given up hope, and the Ursa lifted its giant paw, ready to swipe at her.

Then the Ursa fell sideways, hitting the forest floor with a dull thud. Standing next to it was a tall young man wearing black body armour and carrying two bloody swords. He had red hair and a bit of stubble. The young man had walked over to her, helped her up, and introduced himself as Rowen. The two had been friends ever since.

Alcina had always thought of Rowen as bombastic, the life of the party as soon as he walked through the door. He talked to strangers in the hallways as if he had known them for years. He was easy to like, but apparently hard to love. As much as he was a tall and handsome guy with a great personality, he seemed to have no luck with the ladies, either alone or with his buddy Nero Marius.

Granted, they both had charm and good looks, but Rowen always stood out to Alcina as the more worthy candidate of her affections. Maybe it was the fact that he saved her life, or maybe it was the way his eyes lit up whenever he was excited about something. If anyone on their team was arguing, they instantly forgave each other whenever Rowen would walk in and have a chat with them. In the past two months, she had grown to enjoy his company more than that of her other teammates, trying in vain to get him alone so she could talk to him in private.

She had mustered up the courage to talk to him about how she felt that very morning, but instantly forgot about it when she noticed he had destroyed her notes. And now she feared she had missed her only opportunity, as he had quickly deducted that she was letting her attraction to him take precedence over her better judgement. She had acted so stupid! Beating him up over notes, then trying to make him feel better by politely asking him to take his shirt off. What was she thinking? She almost never lost her cool around guys, but her nerves got the better of her today.

She slumped into her bed, closing her eyes and trying to calm down. It would have helped if it was nighttime, she thought - her bed was below Rowen's, and the sound of his breathing always made her feel safe as she drifted off to sleep. She knew she had no real reason to be angry at him, but she had to find some way to hide her true emotions; being mad was the easiest route for the time being.

Alcina's breathing slowed as she thought about that evening, and their planned excursion to the mall in Vale. Both teams RAIN and SEER would be going - all eight of them got along very well, and the fun they would surely have could serve as a distraction to her problems. It could also give her a chance of trying to talk to Rowen in private.

She fell asleep with complete confidence that the evening would be the best night of her life.

-

Rowen groaned and rubbed his head as he lay in the doorway of team SEER's room. He looked up to see Shanti and Inari looming over him, curious glances plastered on their faces. He lifted his hand and gave a small wave. "Hey," he said sheepishly.

The two girls instantly began to laugh hysterically as Rowen got to his feet, stretching and smiling.

"So anyway," he continued, as Shanti and Inari composed themselves, "what are you guys doing today? I mean, it is a nice day off, for the most part." He gave a quick glance to the closed door of his team room, making a mental note to sort out that problem later.

The girls turned toward him, holding a plate of particularly large muffins with chocolate chunks.  
"We did a bit of cooking," Inari said. "I dropped in to say hello and we had just finished making these before you... crashed the party." Her eyes drifted to the doorway.

"Sorry about that," Rowen replied. "I was leaning against the door because... Never mind. I guess I'll be on my way then-"

Shanti spoke up. "Would you like to have some muffins with us?" She was sitting on the bed opposite Rowen, her gauntlets resting on the pillow next to her.

Rowen was taken aback by Shanti's sudden offer. "Uh..." He wondered whether he should stay and discuss his rather eventful morning over muffins, or go back to his room and talk to Alcina. No doubt she was upset over their previous altercation.

Shanti's eager face overpowered Rowen's uncertainty. "I... guess so," he said, which got a large grin from Shanti and a smirk from Inari.

"Yay!" Shanti seemed unusually happy today. Rowen wondered why as he sat at the desk in front of the window and picked up a muffin from the plate. He took a bite - banana chocolate chip. So good. He leaned back in the chair, still worried about what Alcina was up to in the opposite room.

Inari looked at him curiously. "What's on your mind, Rowen?" She was very good at reading a person based on their behaviour.

Rowen, realizing there was no way out of the situation, decided to tell the girls. "I think I may have made Alcina a little angry this morning," he began. "And it didn't help that I accidentally ripped her notes."

Inari grabbed a muffin and leaned back on the bed. "Well, she does love her notes. But there's more to it than that... isn't there, Rowen?" She picked her head up and gave him a quizzical, blue-eyed stare.

Rowen scratched his head. "Well... she beat the crap out of me. And then she tried to see if I was hurt. My abs were mentioned, and she threw me across the hall." He leaned further back in his chair, glancing at the door to his room.

Inari and Shanti exchanged quick glances. They knew something.

"Okay, guys," Rowen said sternly. "What's the deal? First it's Alcina damn near killing me, then it's Yang bringing her up, and now you two are being all secretive. I'm beginning to believe everyone knows something I don't!"

Inari looked away from Rowen, crossing her arms. "I don't know anything," she said rather unconvincingly. "And if I did, I think it would be up to Alcina to tell you how she feels!" She immediately realized what she had just said, and covered her mouth with a horrified glance at Rowen.

Rowen sank in his chair, the gravity of the situation hitting him like a train full of Dust. So Alcina DID think about him in that way. Taking another bite out of his muffin, he leaned back and looked out into the hallway at the door of his team's room. Alcina was in there, probably losing it over his acting like a jerk. Why did he always have to ruin things by opening his mouth?

His thoughts were interrupted by the chair's back legs giving out. Rowen fell backward, hitting the floor and lodging a piece of the muffin in his throat. As he struggled to cough up the delicious treat that was now attempting to murder him, Shanti looked down at him.

"You... you don't like them?" Her eyes began to well up with tears, and Inari instinctively wrapped her arms around the Faunus, fearing the worst for the poor man on the floor.

"Don't be silly," Inari soothed. "He loves the muffins."

Rowen managed to cough up the chunk of food, gasping for air. "Damn muffins!" he shouted.

Inari held on to Shanti for dear life, praying to whatever god was listening, knowing that Rowen had sealed his fate. Shanti's sadness quickly transformed into rage as she threw Inari aside and slipped on her gauntlets. She stomped over to Rowen, still coughing and laying on the floor.

With one hand, she lifted the young man off the floor by his collar, holding him at eye-level.

"Rowen... Viriatus..." She was burning with fury as Rowen prepared for the worst, closing his eyes for what he hoped would not be the last time. "You... you... MONSTER!"

With that, the Faunus girl punched Rowen with her free hand, launching him across the hall. The door to his team room did nothing to slow him down, and as the wooden structure shattered, he slammed into the desk against the opposite wall, sprawling on the floor.

Rolling onto his back, Rowen winced as he felt his aura slowly build itself up again. He held a hand to his throbbing forehead as he groaned in pain, asking aloud, "Why? Why is it always me?"

He felt a hand against his face and he braced himself for another blow, when Alcina spoke. "What the hell did you get yourself into now? I mean, I'm not saying you don't deserve this, but I jut want to thank whoever saved me the trouble of beating you up myself."

"Good to see you're less mad at me," Rowen replied, still rubbing his head.

Before Alcina could respond, her attention turned to the door as Shanti walked in, tears streaming down her face. She walked straight to Alcina and fell into her arms. The only words she could make out from Shanti were "muffins" and "Rowen".

Alcina turned on Rowen. "So that's what happened?" she said coldly. "You couldn't even sit through muffin time without ruining it. You must be proud of your ability to be such an ass all the time."

Rowen sighed. So much for being forgiven, he thought to himself, as Alcina walked up to him and lifted him by the shoulders.

"I'm sorry," was all Rowen could manage as he was thrown out the window of team RAIN's room. He could make out the silhouettes of Alcina and Inari comforting Shanti on his way toward the ground, and once again realized that it was always him.

He hit the ground, hard, and rolled across the grass to stop next to one of the many benches littered along the walkway. He heard a calm voice above him say, "Well, isn't this a lovely surprise?"

Rowen looked up to see Professor Ozpin standing over him, his cane resting in the crook of his arm and a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Nice of you to... drop by," Ozpin said with a smile. "It would seem young Mr Marius isn't the only member of team RAIN to have a rough start to their morning."

Rowen looked past Ozpin and noticed that several boys were sitting on the benches, including Nero and the two guys on team SEER - Etsuro and Egidio. Nero gave a nervous smile and waved to Rowen.

"Although," Ozpin continued, "Mr Marius' morning did not involve a broken door, broken window and, by the looks of it, broken ribs. May I ask how you ended up here, of all places?"

Rowen sat up in the grass, holding a hand to his chest. "Let's just say I never guessed that notes, abs and banana chocolate chip muffins would get me a one-way ticket to the gardens," he joked.

Professor Ozpin began to chuckle, as he turned away from Rowen. "Now that, Mr Viriatus, is a story I would love to hear someday," he said calmly. "Perhaps you can tell it to your friends here, after I warn them not to start any more fights in the gym."

Nero turned to Ozpin. "You mean... you're not going to punish us?"

"Would you rather I did?" Ozpin replied, causing Nero to quickly stop talking and shake his head.

"Good. Next time, I highly doubt a flying teenager with a funny story will be able to get you out of trouble." With that, Ozpin lowered his cane and walked away.

Nero immediately ran up to Rowen, helping him to his feet as Etsuro and Egidio followed. "Okay, dude. You gotta tell me this story," he said eagerly.

Rowen grinned, glad to be in the company of people who weren't throwing him around for once today. "Sorry, Nero. This is one that I'm saving for tonight. Our team is going out with SEER, remember?"

Egidio spoke up. "That's right! Guess I'd better dress up for the occasion."

Etsuro turned to him with a confused look on his face. "Egidio, when don't you dress up?"

The four young men laughed as they headed toward the entrance of Beacon, discussing their plans and wondering what the night had in store for them.


End file.
